Growing ......

Hello Weekend!

and 

Hello visitors! 
My name is Pam

 and

I'm so happy to be participating in the

party

hosted by

Viki  

at 2 Bags Full

For those of you who are visiting for the first time today

I thought I'd share a bit about myself and my blog...
The more I thought about it...
it truly was difficult to narrow down all the things I'd love to share...
so grab a cup
and browse a bit!

A few years ago I started blogging because I found

that as a new mother I was VERY lacking

in time for my SELF.

I have always been a watercolorist/craft dabbler/thriftstore and flea market

junkie...

I was so starved for time to do what I loved

that the world

of blogging allowed me to visit with others

who had the same loves
 even when I could not get out...

Then I decided to take a leap and become a blogger myself...

and thus
thefinderskeeper
was born.

It is my little space I use 
when I can't pull out the paintbrushes and get messy,

 when I want to share my thoughts or experiences
and the things that I find beautiful...
What exactly will you find here?

I love to share my thrifty finds and post them weekly...

Here are a few of my favorites from over the last few years...

Love Putz Christmas houses!

Started collecting back in college...

Vintage Camera collecting!

I love finding them at yardsales and flea markets

The little greenie is my favorite find ever!

So cute vintage paper dolls!

Tins, dishes, and LOTS of jewelry...
I love to repurpose the jewelry into one of a kind pieces...

 Kitsch...like this chalkware witch...

and photos...
I have a photography passion!
It is one thing I have  had a long
time love for....
What do I like to photograph?
Everyday life , travels, you name it..
This past year I especially took it to a new level for myself in trying to take
one photo at least each day to make into a book...
I  use a DSLR and am obsessed with all the APPS out there available for the Iphone.
I try to post my Iphone collages weekly
but am changing things up a bit this year.
Here are just a few of my favorites 
from my manual and Iphone Cameras....

This is my "Little Keeper" a few years ago....

My first trip to Italy this year

which has been a long time dream...

 

Poppies at Pompeii...

Beaches of Caprii...

 Gelato...

 Fishing Villages...

Rome...

 Beauty...

 There is so much more of Italy it was hard to choose!
I also enjoy being able to share some of the finished 
pieces of my artwork as I complete them...

ATC's

Ornaments...

Lots of mixed media projects...

 I frequently participate in swaps like the one above
which was an altered Altoid Tin that was later filled with buttons for my partner..

I feel like creativity seeps into every part of my life...

 thus

the
adventures in Life, Love, Art and Junking....

Cooking ...

Family and Friends...

(myself and all the lovely ladies from Ignite Italy -plus one handsome movie star)

Projects

(one of my soldered shrines)

and
JUNK!

I hope you have enjoyed a peek at my blog
and will continue to return
and become

one of the gang!

Please take lots of looks through the other
blogs at
2 Bags Full 
Thanks so much...

Stay Creative and always be true!

What to do with all those candy canes?

Now is the perfect

time...

Go round up those leftover candy

canes...

or even better go

find some of the 90% off kind

in the clearance section. 

Last year I had a whole box of 

miniature ones leftover from the holidays

and 

I decided to make these for Valentines day...

 All I had to buy was a bag

of white chocolate melts.

I placed all of the candy canes in a heart shape

onto a cookie sheet covered with tin-foil.

I think wax paper would be fine too.

Then I melted the chocolate and then used a spoon to 

drizzle the chocolate to fill in the center of each heart.

I used some decorative sprinkles I already had 

to add some more color.

I packaged up about 5 boxes full

and gave them away to

friends and clients.

Simple, easy, and made with love.

So go gather all those leftovers and have some fun

today!

These are a few of my favorite things......

Thought I'd share a 12 of my favorite things

 from 2012

1 - Long Way Down

 I've been watching this series on Halogen T.V.

another favorite place for a show I fell in love with last year.

Who wouldn't want to follow Ewan McGregor around on a motorcycle?

I love the bond between these two guys

and the whole thrill of being a world traveler.

Most of all I love that they aren't doing a "guided tour"

sort of show.

They travel through the part of Italy I stayed in last Spring and it brought

back such good memories...

Now I'm trying to convince my husband when 

we go in the future we should TOTALLY rent

Moto Guzzi motorcycles and ride while we are there right?!

He's a Harley master technician - no sweat!

Combine our loves!

2- Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange

I LOVE Jo malone Orange Blossom -

but

It costs a pretty penny!

My friend Lara mentioned that Pacifica made this

when i thought she was actually wearing Jo-Malone.

I was able to find the lotion at T.J.Maxx of all places

and my sister gave me the perfume for Christmas - 

she found it at Whole Foods !

3- The Outlander Series

I finished up the first in the "Outlander" series

at the urging of my best friend...

I'm not the romantic novel type..

but this one is unique to me.

Time travel, 

a heroine who can fend for herself

1700's Scotland

 and

 men in Kilts...

what else could you ask for?

4- Duplo Candy Bar

Three college girls on Spring break

were sitting next to me on a ferry to Caprii while I was in Italy.

They kept ooohing and ahhing over this candy bar.

I picked up a box and brought them home to share.

If I had tried it while i was IN Italy

I would have bought a couple of boxes!

They were gobbled up by the family

and I had to purchase more

at World Market for $2 a piece for Christmas!

If you like Hazelnuts and want to indulge....

find one!

Very worth it!

5- Photography APPS!

favorite camera app definitely has to be

 I love the endless possibilities for filters 

this app has.

You can create your own

or download the thousands others have developed for

FREE

once you have purchased the app!

I use this one constantly!

6- Tumblr

 I love my tumblr. blogs!

I really use them for inspiration 

you can spend endless time scrolling through tumblr!

Just about as bad for me as Pinterest depending on the day!
If you'd like to peek...I later realized I forgot to put links ;)
http://go-there.tumblr.com
and
http://high-among-the-waves.tumblr.com

7- Poppy for Boots Co. lipgloss

 I have two shades of this 

and I love them!

I love that you can get lines from bigger

designers etc, at TARGET!

8- Organix coconut anything!

I love coconut scented anything in the summer

just makes me feel like I am at the beach.

The Organix line in my opinion has some of the

best scented products there are.

Doesn't smell artificial!

9-Skechers Go Walk

 sorry so small!

I wore these shoes 

ALL over Italy!

I really fretted about having a pair of

sneakers that would be good to me with all the walking

I was going to do there.

When I put these on in the 

store there was NO comparison!

It felt like you were walking on clouds!

Worth every penny!

10-Strathmore visual journals

 I found these at Michael's earlier in the year

LOVE them!

They come in different types of papers too!

Bristol Paper,

a mixed media pad,

even a watercolor paper.

11-Tim Holtz Scissors

 I got these at Michael's as well

with one of my 1/2 price coupons!

Something about them but they just cut so easily and are so 

comfortable to hold.

12-Neocolor crayons

I first used these during the summer

at the journaling group meetup we have here 

at the beach.

Instant love!

I borrowed them from 

our teacher Stephanie every time we got together!

While I was in Chicago

I purchased these as my early Christmas gift.

We don't have Dick Blick here and they carry

the most extensive number of colors!

I was like a kid in a candy store!

This is one of a few

a mixed media pieces I created using them...

Did you have any favorite finds for last year?

Hope you saw something that intrigued you.

Some of my favorite things have been recommendations from friends

and fellow artists!

Christmas Past......

Hope you are all having a

wonderful New Year!

During Christmas

I did a lot of baking this year.

I honestly had given up all the

cookie making, etc. for a few years.

This year I had been thinking about gifts more.

I was trying to remember what my favorite

memories of Christmas were

I could name a lot of the traditions we had 

and 

I could name the favorite foods

we looked forward to.

Foods that we pretty much only had at Christmas

which made them even more special.

I also started to think about the things

that my grandmother and great grandmother

used to cook that we miss dearly.

 

I had come across a recipe

that belonged to my late grandmother.

 Pistachio Pound Cake

It sounded familiar

but 

I wasn't sure if I had ever tasted it .

I then made it my mission to make

this cake for my father and husband.

My dad because it was his mothers recipe

and my husband because he loves pistachios .

O.K.

I debated 

but

 I cannot leave this part out.

I get pretty emotional on occasion.

 when it comes to my 

Granny .

I spent almost every weekend with her when

I was a child.

We camped,

went to the beach,

watched Hee-Haw,

and went to church on Sunday.

Most of all she shared her

talent for cooking,

good 

simple

 food with me.

I was too young to learn the processes,

but I do remember the product.

She was taken from us too early

due to cancer.

I was in High School and my grandparents

had moved out of state.

I really did not get to visit her until

she was in a horrible state that year.

I think my parents were trying to protect us 

somewhat

 from what was going on.

My point being

there are times when I get weepy

about her.

I didn't expect it to be while I was baking.

Something came over me though,

and as I was reading the card ,

I drifted to thoughts of her.

The wonderful times I spent watching her in the kitchen.

No one was home with me this day.

I began to tear up

and as I began to cry

I suddenly felt a strange 

but 

comforting feeling,

like there were a set of arms around me.

A warm energizing feeling.

I stopped and stood there for what seemed like a few 

minutes.

I don't know what you believe in,

but

 I have often felt like there were times

in my life where I could say

my grandmother was with me.

This day I felt it more than ever.

 

 

Here are the finished product.

The taste instantly brought back familiarity

 and I knew

 I had tasted this before.

They were delicious!

I'd like to say

that 

I know so many of us spend months 

running around

after the perfect gift 

in and out

of store after store.

Truly in the end....

what do you remember most about

any

holiday?

Was it a specific gift?

A meal?

Time with family?

I can honestly say there are a handful

of material gifts I remember.

The most standout memories though

are what I have described above.

Traditions and family.

I have decided to give up the 

RUSH

during the holidays

 and 

focus on the

FAMILY and FUN.

I know this was a bit long-winded...

but 

I just had to share the story of my grandmother,

it just felt right. 

This year more than ever I plan to work

on time spent being meaningful 

and myself being present in the moment.

Not worried about how "Martha" everything looked.

If I finish a creative process in getting ready for

a holiday-great!

If I don't -

no big deal.

My 5 year old is not going to remember that.

 Those memories are what matter the most.

Happy Friday to you all!

 

 

 

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I have decided to keep today's

post a little simple.

No favorite things of 2012

or any of that stuff.

Just a few words to live by this 2013

Last year I decided to stop

with resolutions and instead

go with

Inspirations....

I have stolen these three from

the boys at

Beekman 1802 

 Work hard,

Never quit,

Help your neighbor.

Seems easy right?

But I find in this world 

more and more

the simple things can mean 

and enrich our lives the most.

 

My friend 

Lara 

last year discussed

using one word to

help guide us through our 

coming year....

This year I have decided

on

FAITH.

 

The more I give up "control"

the happier I have been.

The more things seem to come together.

The more at calm I am in even

in the face of uncertainty.

The concept

of

FAITH 

applied to more than just 

church .

I hope  you all

have a wonderful New Years Day

and

lets get a great start

to a blank book

with 365 pages...

write your own story this year!   

     I Love you all

and

 appreciate you as readers 

and 

co-creative spirits!