Zuzu Turns Three Today!

18 Friday May 2012

Posted by in Birthday, Family, Love, Pets

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Happy 3rd Birthday to the most awesome Chihuahua in the world…ZUZU!

Zuzu was born on Monday, May 18, 2009 to momma Maya and daddy Rascal. Human grandparents Kim and Corky assisted in the birth.

05.18.2009, Zuzu is born.

Zuzu joined our family on Friday, July 3, 2009.
It is one of the happiest days of our relationship.

It makes her name more meaningful, now that I think about it. When I got to thinking of names for her, I happened to think about the classic movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. I love the little girl, Zuzu (Petals)…you know, “Teacher says, “Every time a bell rings, and angel gets his wings.”

Puppy Zuzu

Zuzu quickly made friends with Karma and Mina. She allowed both to mother her, and she often seems to be part cat…

Karma, Mina, and Zuzu

Each year for her birthday, we get Zuzu a new dress and a special treat.
And, yes, I sing her Happy Birthday.

This year we got her the neat sugar skull t-shirt you see her wearing in the pictures. It’s a color change shirt, and when she’s in the sun,
more colors appear (bought at Petsmart).

My guess is that Zuzu was a starlet, haunted by paparazzi, in a past life. She has no use for a camera, and she often lets her displeasure show by purposefully ignoring it. When she looks at the camera, it’s often because I lie to her and say that, “Daddy’s home!” when he’s not. Or I ask her if she, “wants some…”. I’m not totally cruel, I give her a treat afterwards.

Here are pictures from Zuzu’s Birthday Photo Shoot.

Zuzu is not amused.

Zuzu’s new t-shirt.

Yes I want some mom! What do you have for me?

Daddy’s home? Where is he?!?

Stealthy Zuzu.

Out take…or ghost…

About a year ago I thought it would be a good idea to reunite Zuzu with her momma and Daddy. She came to live with us when she was 6 1/2 weeks old, and I wondered if she’d remember, or just “know” these two Chihuahuas were her parents. It turns out she didn’t, and she wasn’t too terribly happy about sharing me with them.

Zuzu, Momma Maya, Brother from another litter Monty, and Daddy Rascal

Momma Maya

Daddy Rascal

Be sure to check out my sidebar and Like Zuzu on Facebook.

I’ll leave you with a final thought:

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”
Josh Billings (pen name of humorist  Henry Wheeler Shaw)

RIP Peanut

17 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in Blogging, Crafty Business, Summerfield Zoo

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This afternoon I learned that Peanut the Vervet Monkey at Summerfiled Zoo passed away. I feel as though a friend has died. Peanut provided me with one of the happiest moments of my life when I was allowed to feed her dandelion leaves through the cage. Her little hands holding mine as she took the leaves from my fingers melted my heart.

Feeding Peanut dandelion leaves, a favourite snack

Peanut grabbed my finger!

August 2, 2009

Here’s what Summerfield Zoo said today in their newsletter:

“[Peanut] was rescued by Summerfield Zoo after being found living in a box, behind a furnace in a dark basement. When she first came to Summerfield she only stared down, spending her days staring at her feet. Later, when she began to look up she couldn’t believe that there was a world beyond her toes and even a tree in her habitat! A short time after Peanut came to live at Summerfield, we received a call from a zoo in Indiana saying that they had rescued a female Vervet monkey from a local woman’s back bedroom. The zoo in Indiana had no Vervet monkeys in their collection to keep Lilly company so they donated her to Summerfield Zoo as a companion for Peanut.

When she first arrived Lilly was put in a “Howdy doody” cage to make sure they would get along and not fight. A “Howdy doody” cage is what we like to call a “how do you do” cage or an introductory cage.

After Lilly left the “Howdy doody” cage and they were living together Peanut and Lilly became best friends. For the past three years the two of them have lived here happily. In the beginning, Peanut was Lilly’s mother figure and protector. She taught Lilly about manners and good behavior (that Lilly lacked). Slowly Peanut began to show signs of her age and the results of living for years in a box. The more Peanut’s health declined the more Lilly became the mother figure and protector. Now, with Peanut gone, Lilly is uncertain of herself and her place in the world. We are now faced with having to find a companion for Lilly. Vervet monkeys are not available as rescues every day and so we have to purchase a new monkey for Lilly to have as a companion. If you are interested in donating to this cause to help us obtain a companion for Lilly please contact us via phone or e-mail.”

The last time we were at Summerfield Zoo was on April 30, 2011. It was a little chilly, and Peanut and Lilly were still in their inside enclosures, behind glass. Where Peanut was once so timid and afraid, here she is, right against the glass looking at me! I am certain she remembered who I was.

Peanut saying Hi

Thank goodness for Summerfield Zoo for rescuing her from a horrible life!! I am very appreciative for the hard work that Summerfield Zoo does in rescuing abused animals. This event has made me feel a need to take action and do more for Summerfield. I don’t have a lot of money, but I have time, and I have talents. I’ve talked with Danielle in the past about selling my craft items in their gift shop, but we just never went anywhere with it…I think it was around the same time Todd and I moved to Naperville and I got a new job, so it slipped from my radar. Well, I’m back in action, and when Todd and I visit the Zoo this Saturday, I’m going to be snapping tons of pictures and coming up with ideas.

Here’s is Summerfield Zoo’s information. Please consider visiting the Zoo, donating your time or money, and spreading the word!

3088 Flora Road
Belvidere, IL 61008
Summerfield Farm and Zoo’s Website
Summerfield Farm and Zoo’s Facebook Page

Phone: 815-547-4852
Fax: 815-547-5216
Email: Summerfieldzoo@aol.com

I’ll tease you with this slideshow of the animals we’ve visited at Summerfield Zoo. There are a bunch more, but you’ll have to check them out for yourself!

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Collect Art Gallery Soft Opening: I’m in It!

14 Monday May 2012

Posted by in Bucket List, Crafting, Embroidery

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On Saturday, May 19, 2012 I’ll be able to cross off one of my
life bucket list items: Be in an art show.

Facebook friend Cindy Karnitz dreamed up the idea to have an art gallery where people show off their collections. She calls it Collect Art Gallery. The collections will have different themes, and the first show will be a soft opening, thereby featuring collections of “soft” items.

I will be showing ten pieces of my hand embroidery that have a theme of old school tattoo flash. It was so much fun (and a little bit stressful!) to pick the patterns and stitch these items. It was a challenge to also come up with different ways of displaying the final pieces without reverting to always putting them in a hoop.

All of the items will be for sale during the show, and the hardest part for me was coming up with prices. Whenever I stitch things, it’s for a gift, and I give it away. But I put a considerable amount of time into each item (between 2-4 hours), so that should account for something, right? So Todd and I did our best to guess. If no one buys anything, that’s okay – I love all the pieces, and I wouldn’t mind displaying them in our home!
Or, they’ll end up as gifts later on.

Here’s a sneak peek of what I’ll have on display:
(Click on any picture to see it bigger or like it)

Sailor’s Weakness

RAWR!: Glow in the dark floss and paint

Loyalty Above All

Good Luck

Truth is in the Heart: Stitched on a Dickie’s size large work shirt

GRRR!: Glow in the dark floss, quilted

Bluebird of Happiness

Island Dream: Stitched on a kitchen towel

Sailor’s Dream: Stitched on a kitchen towel

De-Evolution: Stitched on a kitchen towel

This collection will be up from May 19th – June 30th.

Gallery hours are:
Tuesdays – Fridays: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Saturdays: 2:00 pm – 10:00 pm

402 East State Street, #3
Rockford, IL

Other artists in this Soft Opening are:
Jesus Correa and Jolene Chinn

A special thank you to my husband, Todd, for your love,
support, and assistance.

Another shout out goes to Jenny Hart, embroiderer extraordinaire, and owner of Sublime Stitching for providing the inspiration to stitch to people like me.

Mother’s Day

13 Sunday May 2012

Posted by in Blogging, Family, Gardening, Gifts

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Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers, but most especially to mine.

10.03.1969

Here’s the gift I put together for my mom. It has lemon thyme for fragrance, marigolds as a remembrance of our home on 2112 Cortez Circle, snapdragons because we both like them, and pansies, which are my favourite flower and will remind my mom of me when she sees them. The solar globe light is so that mom can see it at night. Mr. Gnome is tending the flowers.

Spring 2012 Bucket List Status

07 Monday May 2012

Posted by in Bucket List

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During February, March, and April I completed many of the tasks I set out for myself on my Spring Bucket List. This mini, seasonal list isn’t like a life bucket list with things like “go on safari” or “write a novel.” It’s for shorter term activities to make sure I get out there and do fun things instead of sitting around.

To Do Spring 2012

  1. Decorate Easter Eggs = DONE! Todd, Logan and I did this together.
  2. Make and Send Valentine’s Day Cards = DONE!
  3. Make and Send St. Patrick’s Day Cards = Did not do (I think I was sick.)
  4. Attend a ComicCon = DONE! Todd and I went to C2E2. It was a lot of fun.
  5. Make and Send Megan & Bob’s Wedding Canvas = Partially done…I made it, just need to send it!
  6. Learn How to Make Granny Squares = DONE! A coworker helped me out. I need to put together a tutorial with every single step for the non-crocheters like me!
  7. Put Wedding Album Together = A work in progress.
  8. Take a Photo a Day = DONE! I follow Chantelle’s prompts from Fat Mum Slim. She even used my suggestion of Orange for April 19th!
  9. Make Great Grandma Rosie’s Saffron Bread = I hounded my Mom for the recipe, but she didn’t send it to me. I’m not putting it on my Summer list, but I will get it made soon.

You can find my Summer Bucket List here!

Did you create a Spring Bucket List? How did you do?

Summer 2012 Bucket List

05 Saturday May 2012

Posted by in Bucket List

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I’m excited for my Summer 2012 Bucket List, which covers May, June, and July.These aren’t life bucket list items like “go on safari” or “write a novel.” These are things for me to do in three month, seasonal increments to hold myself accountable to doing fun things. I’m still pretty sad about moving away from my hometown nearly two years ago, so these mini bucket lists help me come up with fun things to do.

As I did with my Spring 2012 Bucket List, I printed it out, trimmed it down, and put it in an 8″x10″ picture frame. Since the glass front is cleanable, I use a dry erase marker to check off when I complete an item.

Here’s a snapshot of my Summer 2012 Bucket List:

My Spring 2012 Bucket List was quite popular, so this time around I created a printable that you can use to make your own Summer Bucket List. This one is blank since mine is specific to me. You can download it here: Blank Summer Bucket List 2012

What are you going to add to your Summer Bucket List?

Fancy Coffee, In My Kitchen

25 Sunday Mar 2012

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I’m a huge fan of iced lattes from Starbuck’s, but I’m not quite a fan of the price tag. I also seem to have a hard time remembering the order in which to say what it is I’m ordering…Venti Iced Soy Raspberry Latte, phew! Last weekend I bought a $15 Mr. Coffee coffee maker in hopes that I could get that same taste at home. It didn’t taste quite like I was hoping since it wasn’t made with espresso. Back to the store and I bought a Mr. Coffee espresso maker that was on clearance – score!

I like raspberry flavouring added to my iced lattes, but I haven’t been able to find any stores that sell coffee flavouring. I found a recipe for homemade raspberry syrup on the blog A Beautiful Mess. It’s delicious AND simple to make. I tested the espresso machine and raspberry syrup out, and it’s delicious!

Wild Olive Stitch Swap 2012

24 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in Embroidery, Gifts

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Back in February Mollie at Wild Olive announced that she’d be hosting a stitch swap that would run the month of March. I submitted my name, interests, and favourite colours. Someone, some place in the world has my name and will be sending me a little bit of handmade goodness by March 31st.

My stitchee indicated what she likes, and I then set out to create that for her. My first attempt was pretty bad, but I’m happy with what I finally created. I found a picture of a cephalopod that looked like it would be fun to stitch. I threw in the pencil-thin moustache last, and I think it makes it perfect.

I’ve decided that his name is Cuthbert Smythe-Jones, III,
and he’s quiet the ladies, uh, octopus.

Per the instructions, he’s stitched within a 4″ hoop. I added a couple of extras that I made that I hope my stitchee will like.

All items will go out into the mail on Monday.

March Photo a Day

01 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by in Photo a Day

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I’ve been taking a photo each day since January 1st through the iPhone app Photo 365. I take photos of things every day (mainly of Zuzu), and it’s been a fun way to record the randomness in my life. Starting in March, I’m going to follow along with Fat Mum Slim’s Photo a Day Challenge. Each month she posts prompts for different photos. How they’re interpreted is up to me. Here’s March’s challenge:

If you’re on Instagram, you can find these pictures under my handle @amybyrnehenderson

This is what January and February looked like:

Happy Valentine’s Day!

14 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by in Crafting, Embroidery, Gifts, Love

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This year Todd and I decided that we would give each other handmade presents for Valentine’s Day. Okay, so, really, I wanted to give each other handmade gifts. He hasn’t embroidered anything in almost two years, and I miss seeing what he can do!

Todd wanted to make something for me in a genre that he couldn’t remember I had ever stitched. He dug into my Irish roots and made me this awesome, very Celtic-looking claddagh.

Todd did something else for me that I’m not going to get upset about, even though he spent money. He sponsored a chimp for me from Chimp Haven, Inc. His name is Midget, and I am in love with him! Todd said he looked at all of the chimps you can sponsor several times before deciding on Midget. He reminded him most of me…he sticks up for the underdog, is very vocal, and he’s super friendly.

For Todd, I embroidered this pattern from Sublime Stitching. I had fun with it since I tried a new stitch – the chain stitch (bottom outline of the heart). I also fell in love with a stitch I had previously disliked – the stem stitch (all of the blood vessels). I found this neat tutorial on YouTube for the stem stitch that made it so much easier to do.

I wanted to do something else for Todd, something that he could keep with him. He’s been going through some tough times, and I wanted to remind him at any point in the day or night that I love him, and I’m here for him. I used the Tim Holtz Ideaology pocket watch to create this little vignette.

 

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