Still in Sunny Florida

BUT

Grow Your Blog 2014

if you know me and read my blog all the time . . .  
 please pretend for a moment that you have never been here before.   
Okay?     
    Thanks ! 

Welcome to RuffHaven !   

 I am so glad you're here ! 

I can't believe I almost forgot about this again !  
 I missed it last year . . . because I was at the beach. 
And here I am again . . .  
 at the beach, and not paying attention to the calendar.    
What am I rambling about?   
Well
  Vicki over at 2 Bags Full hosts this amazing event to bring bloggers together. It is a  wonderful opportunity to make new friends and find new blogs to follow. 
Thank you Vicki ! I can only imagine
how much work this is.
***

Hi . . .     I'm Marianne

 and you have 
wandered into what The Lifeguard (my dear husband)
 calls my home away from home . . .  my blog . . .
 it's where my friends live . . . 
and
 it's where I store my words and photos 
about my art, my crafts, my quilts, 
and anything else I might be working on.  

I have been blogging for a few years 
and I still feel like a beginner. 
There is so much more I want 
to do and learn.
The generosity  of the blogging 
community is amazing and I am
 grateful to be a part of it.

I will keep this short because I know 
you have so many blogs to visit.  

I love to create art 
and I have
 learned so much
from my friends 
in the blogging community.

I used to work in a 
neutral palette

but I have grown to 
love color and 
it seems everything 
I make now
is so full of color

I blame this on all of the wonderful artists out there




I enjoy making books and journals

I also knit
 and 
stitch
 and 
quilt

I draw

dangle

doodle and

zentangle











I love the outdoors and love to putter around in the garden

Oh and I love dogs !

a lot !

Did you see them in my sidebar?

I would love for you to stop by and visit again!
I have more tricks for you
and 
Yes. . .
I would love for you to follow my blog.

I'm sorry I am not having a giveaway this time.

My regular readers know I love to give stuff away.

But I am on vacation and it just isn't going to happen.

I promise to hold one of my HUGE giveaways real soon.

I am going to try to visit all the blogs.

It will take a few days.

Please leave a comment 
to let me know you were here
and I will be sure to 

visit you too.
 See you again soon !

Marianne

Taking a short break

The cold arctic air up north is creating a lot of
 moisture in the air here in Southwest Florida 
and the sunsets have been breathtaking !

Tuesday, Tea and Two Tiny Mice

Good Afternoon Tuesday !

Today almost slipped by , but here I am ...

 to say hello to you and all my new friends who link up 

with Elizabeth every Tueasday....for T stands for Tuesday.

 Today the mice are stirring    ....

a cup of

 Holiday Tea

         

 Every year 

these cuties hang on the garland 

around my kitchen

window

and

 there are a few more 

tea and coffee 

themed ornaments 

on my kitchen tree.

this cup says -

"Christmas is a perfect blend of

laughter, love and time with friends"

the bottom cup says-

"Ho Ho Ho a Jolly Cup of Joe "

and one more

Mom    &   Daughter

I enjoy collecting ornaments.

I try to stick to Santas, Snowmen, Birds, Cookies , and Snowflakes

but ocassionally a few others sneak in.

Do you collect a certain themed ornament or is it anything goes?

 

Expext The Unexpected

I was working on my Holiday Home tour post that I mentioned a few 

days ago and I was working on a Giveaway too....

( some of you may ave seen that....I posted it and then I reverted back to draft )

anyway.....

We just found out friends of ours are in town so we 

opened our house to them

 so they won't have to stay at a hotel.

They are on their way here now.

yikes! 

 I am so happy my house is clean. 

I will be away from the internet for a bit . . .

    meanwhile 

....Stay warm