Eighteen Months in Labor? - Happy 17th Birthday

It had been a long 18 months. I had asked for a baby girl - healthy, 0 to 9 months old. I was going to name her Christina Noel. Christmas was approaching and I believed that THIS would be the month. You know, with the name I had picked and all.

I started buying baby clothes for a baby girl. Hung them in her closet. Bought the baby crib and decided on the room decor. Still no baby girl.

Got a call. It went like this. "I know you wanted a girl, but we have a healthy baby boy and just wanted to know if you might be interested?" I had been in adoption labor for 18 months! YES, I was *interested*.

Monday, April 13, 1992: Met foster parents and my soon-to-be son at their home where he had been since birth. We locked eyes and I loved him from that moment on. God chose the perfect baby!

Tuesday, April 14, 1992: Second visit to the foster home. Picked out an outfit for my new baby to wear home the next day. Hugged, kissed, cried with the foster parents. This had been their first foster child, so it was very emotional. Left at 2:11pm to head home and wait for the next day to hurry and get here.

Wednesday afternoon, April 15, 1992: Social Worker arrived at my door with 6-month old Taylor. What a wonderful day that was! Note: Because he was just a baby at the time of adoption, I was able to (re)name him. I named my new baby boy Taylor.

After the 6-month waiting period, we went to court for the signing of the final paperwork.

That's me swearing in in the Judges' chambers and my mother-in-law standing behind me

Me signing the papers


Judge Gray signing the final paperwork.
Did you know that I was adopted too?

Mother-in-law, Lezlei (sister-in-law/friend), me and Taylor

My (now ex) husband and I walking Taylor out of the Courthouse. I love this photo that Lezlei took of us. It looks like Taylor is looking back saying "well, it's all official now"

Christian Montessori Pre-School Days


Elementary school: First trip away from home to summer camp. And yes, I cried . . .


Junior High Graduation Day. Note: the shirt was tucked in for the ceremony!

Sitting (and and maybe thinking?) in the neighborhood Starbucks

Football

one of my favorite photos . . .


Hanging out and having a good time with his friend

Sometime this year at a friend's. Shhhhhhh, I stole this from his photos on the computer . . .

future baker???


or maybe a recording artist?

At Focus getting new skateboard for birthday (compliments of mommy) . . .

Happy 17th Birthday Taylor!
I love you sweetie, xoxoxo - Mommy

Another Event

Starting yesterday and going through tomorrow (October 3rd through October 5th) is an event called Gem Faire. My friends Mary Valleau and Diana James told me about this event when they were in my workshop last week.

I had never been to this before and since it was being held at the Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa - right down the street from the *day job*, I went after work.

At first, when I got there, I thought, huuummm, this is a beader's paradise. But since I'm not a beader, I didn't think there would be much of real interest for me. I was wrong! Couldn't take any photos once I got inside, but I managed to get one photo of one of the bead tables just outside the front entrance.


You know those workshops I'm taking on the 25th and 26th with Cindy Forrester I keep writing about? Well, I found two vendors at Gem Faire that I bought everything else I needed from! Yep, and I don't have to keep searching on-line or wait for anything to come in the mail now. I am soooooo jazzed!

If you live in So Cal and still need supplies for the workshops, get your behind over to the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds. The last day of the event is tomorrow (Sunday). And even if you aren't going to the workshops, if you are a beader or collector of gems, this is the place to be this weekend.

Here are the two vendors I bought from and liked enough to mention here on my blog:

K.H. Lee Supply Co.
6921 N. Guthrie Rd.
Tucson, Arizona 85743
telephone number is (800) 799-4557
website: http://www.leejewelrycrafttools.com/

I purchased additional tools I needed from Kenny (he had everything!), and we talked for probably a half an hour. He explained the difference between tools, gave me good advice, and didn't try to sell me stuff I didn't need. Kenny is The Man!

Then there was Altamont
4035 Grass Valley Hwy. Ste. Y
Auburn, CA 95602
(800) 595-5915
website: http://www.altasilver.com/

I purchased sterling silver sheet, sterling silver dead soft wire and my soldering pad from John and Janene Zwickl. This is another company I would recommend purchasing from. They are both lovely people and do mail order as well.

Got Coffee Filters?

Coffee filters are so versatile, and they are lint-free! Below are some ways to use coffee filters in your artwork.

I make roses using coffee filters - used and unused. Depending on the strength of your coffee, and how long you leave the wet grounds in the filter, each one will be different.

These are some of my used, dried coffee filters

This is one of my roses made from used coffee filters


These are some watercolored roses I made from unused cone coffee filters. Take time to smell the roses? Or wake up and smell the coffee?


I use coffee filters (used and unused) to wipe off my paint brushes when I'm painting. Once the coffee filter is completely *painted* and dried, I cut it up and use for atc's, backgrounds,collage work, etc.

artist trading card backgrounds


Here I used coffee filters to make a skirt for a doll. I can't show you the completed doll, you'll have to wait for the release of the Winter 2009 Somerset Gallery - Expressions Page *wink wink*

Below are 28 additional ways to use unused coffee filters around and outside the home:

1. Clean your mirrors, windows and wine glasses with coffee filters
2. Use coffee filters to serve cookies to children (and messy adults) - they catch the crumbs!
3. Line a flower pot with a coffee filter to stop the soil from leaking through the holes in the bottom of the pot
4. If the cork in a bottle of wine breaks off in the bottle, pour the wine through a coffee filter
5. Stack your good china with a coffee filter between each plate
6. Recycle your used coffee filters to make an altered book
7. Clean your eye glasses with a coffee filter
8. Use a coffee filter to clean your computer screen
9. Polish your furniture with a coffee filter
10. For a mess-free popsicle, poke a hole in the center of a coffee filter and place the stick through the hole. The coffee filter will catch the drips
11. For an ice cream cone, put the cone in the center of the filter and hold the cone with the filter
12. Reuse cooking oil by draining it through a coffee filter
13. Strain blueberries through a coffee filter and not lose them down the sink drain
14. Use coffee filters to shine your shoes. Apply shoe polish and then buff it off with a clean coffee filter
15. Coffee filters make a good chip bowl for kids and adults on the run
16. Don't have cheesecloth handy? Wrap herbs like bay leaves, cloves, and peppercorn) in the center of a coffee filter and cut away the excess at the top. Tie the coffee filter with a piece of cotton twine and toss it into whatever you're cooking. Remove after cooking
17. For something impressive, bake giant cupcakes in coffee filters
18. Use coffee filters to cover foods in the microwave
19. Cut the end off a cone-style coffee filter to make an instant funnel. Keep a few in your car and use them to avoid spillage when you add oil
20. Keep your cast-iron skillets rust-free by placing a coffee filter in the skillet when it's not in use
21. For an instant air freshener, fill a coffee filter with baking soda and twist-tie shut. Tuck these in shoes, closets, the refrigerator, . . .
22. To absorb the grease when preparing bacon, use coffee filters instead of paper towels (which bacon can tend to stick to)
23. Use a coffee filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering thin fabrics
24. When taking indoor photos, place a coffee filter over lights, lamps, or even your flash to lessen the harshness of direct light
25. I haven't tried this one, but I would think if you were in desperate need, you could use coffee filters in place of toilet paper
26. Use a coffee filter on a plate to keep deviled eggs from sliding around
27. In a pinch, use coffee filters as napkins
28. Use coffee filters to strain yogurt when you need to make a sour cream substitute

Do YOU have any other ways to use coffee filters that you would like to share?