tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78259348430028369002024-03-05T13:24:24.323-08:00Hill Raisedthe life and times of a southern girl raised in the hills of Mississippi.Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-69206454670147613632012-04-24T13:06:00.002-07:002012-04-24T13:06:25.886-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I think the time has come to officially delcare this blog defunct. I have started a new blog over at <a href="http://hickoryridgestudio49.blogspot.com/">http://hickoryridgestudio49.blogspot.com/</a> that I hope will allow me to bring together all my interests and differnt artistic endeavors. Thank you for your interest in this page and follow me on over to my new home. Thanks! </div>Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-37385400034544596362011-01-07T09:06:00.000-08:002011-01-07T09:10:29.822-08:00If you would excuse me…*edit* (I wrote this a couple of days ago, and have just now decided to post it. I didn't know if I would or not, but here it is.)<br /><br />You all will have to excuse me for already breaking my blogging streak (of an entire 2 days.) I lost my wonderful friend and companion of 18 years, my horse Yogi. If you’re a horse person, or even an animal person you’ll know how devastated I am. I got him August of 1993 when I was 11 and he was 12. He was 5 months older than me. He passed away January 2, 2011 at the grand old age of 29. I competed with him until he was 25 and finally retired him from competition for the second time (the first time was at 20 which didn’t stick and he was brought out of retirement at 22 to run for another three years. I lost another horse I had raised that year and he came out of retirement to finish out the competition year and get me over the loss of that horse.) <br /><br />This horse was my best friend for years. He was such a talented horse and the comment was made about him if you’ve seen him run one time you’ve seen him run a hundred. He was so consistent and dependable. I knew I could send him into the arena at any speed and know that he was going to take care of it. Not to say he didn’t have his moments, but overall he is probably the most honest horse I have ever ridden. Because of him I got to do so many things I wouldn’t have gotten to do otherwise. We showed in the Golden Triangle Horse Show Association winning multiple championships in barrels, poles, quadrangles, and arena race. We showed in 4-H, local rodeos, junior high school rodeo, central 4-d barrel racing association, and other local associations such as the North Mississippi Barrel Racing Association. We also showed in the National Barrel Horse Association Mississippi 02 district and qualified multiple times for the Open and Youth Worlds and competed at the 1999 Youth World Show in Jackson, MS running three clean runs and missing the finals by only a few places. We were multiple award winners and won the Open 4-d Championship in 2005 winning a saddle and dominating the division that year. With that final championship I decided it was time to retire him for good. <br />I got to show in Mississippi, Alabama, and Oklahoma with him and I’ve got to say we were competitive and he made me look a hell of a lot better than I was. He made me better. There was no sloppy riding on Yogi. You either rode like hell or you didn’t, there was no middle ground, no low gear with him. It was wide open all the time. <br /><br />As he got older and had a couple of health issues like arthritis and fused joints in his back hocks he lost a lot of that raw power and became a very technical horse. He figured out the best way to turn a barrel for him. He figured out how to make his runs work for him. He was a horse that thrived on competition. He loved the sound of a loud crowd, blaring music, and my parents yelling at us from the fence. This was a horse that loved to run, loved to be first, and most importantly be in the spotlight. <br /><br />One quick story, at the 1994 Mississippi Open State Horse Show, my first State Show on Yogi, we had a great night. We were 5th in quads and 4th in Arena Race. It was my first time to ever place at the State Horse Show and I picked up my last trophy at 3:00 a.m. We raced over to the official photographer to have our picture taken and we were in luck. She said that we were her last photo of the night. This was a horse that had competed in 4 events that day starting at probably 10:00 a.m. or so. He was tired, I was tired, my mom and dad were exhausted. We stepped in front of the background, mom and dad placed the trophies on the ground in front of us, and the photographer stepped behind the camera and held up her hand to get our attention. Yogi squared up his feet, lifted his head, pricked his ears, and positively posed for the camera. It’s still one of my favorite photos. <br /><br />I could go on and on. I could talk about him falling in the trailer on the way to the State 4-H horse show and still going on the next day to place in the poles. How at 16 we went to the Central 4-d national finals in Shawnee, Oklahoma and made the finals helping me to win my only national championship at that association’s first national finals show. How he ran at Ed Edens July 4th Rodeo in the rain and slop with me at 13 years old and missed placing by one place against some of the toughest professional cowgirls in our area. How at the NBHA state finals one year he lunged into the arena, snatching my reins away from me and running the pattern by himself until I finally found my reins at the third barrel. (He placed and won a check with that run by the way.) Or how at 25 in his last race he won the 4-d and completed his career a champion. <br /><br />Oh he’s not Bozo or Scamper, or even a State Champion, but to me he is and always will be so much more than that. When Jan Robertson sold him to me it was like winning the lottery, or even better. I was 11 and I had watched him at horse shows and could only dream of having a horse like that. I was moving out of the pony classes and my parents were looking for me another horse but I never expected to have something like him. I had spent 4 years training my pony, I knew nothing about barrel racing when I got her and neither did she. We learned together. Dad didn’t want to see me spend another 4 years training another horse. He felt that I had paid my dues and he wanted me to have a nice horse. We got it alright, in spades. There were times he was a challenge. The first 30 days I had him I would have taken him back, but stubbornness won out and I kept him. Thank the Lord I did. <br /><br />There are those that will read this and think, “It’s just a horse what’s the big deal?” But to those of you who have had that great horse in your life, you know how I feel. It’s hard to explain and I’m not even going to try. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading this, I know it’s rambling but it’s what I feel. <br /><br />To my Mom and Dad thank you so much for buying Yogi. I hope you had as much fun with him as I did. You’ll never know what it meant to me and you’ll never know how much I thank you for letting him spend his life with us. <br /><br />To Mrs. Jan, thank you for Yogi. I know you loved him so much and it was hard to sell him but thank you, thank you, thank you. He was very much loved and spoiled. <br /><br />To Nannette and Randy Parkinson, thank you for taking me on. I know you didn’t know what you had let yourself in for that first day, I know I’ll never forget it. :) Yall have taught me so much. <br /><br />To all my facebook friends, thank you all so much for your kind words. I was a totally stunned and shattered mess that afternoon and what you all said meant so much. <br /><br />To all of you, thank you for reading this and bearing with me. We’ll get back to fun stuff and sewing and photography soon.Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-14787708612016568272010-12-29T11:03:00.001-08:002010-12-29T11:31:20.367-08:00It all starts with a list...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Gz9TzESYLmjzuTkuUt8Z3jq9I0P7i8iBEw7SEWNefyBDYHv8-ivzsfUBZGKyunTgK9_mJrAMzBNmwyBVmuPY0oFmPJnVu48dZB0m4hBRrEJKxGHtmRXY8HgdhaImDvdFjGezqsM551A/s1600/IMG_0045.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Gz9TzESYLmjzuTkuUt8Z3jq9I0P7i8iBEw7SEWNefyBDYHv8-ivzsfUBZGKyunTgK9_mJrAMzBNmwyBVmuPY0oFmPJnVu48dZB0m4hBRrEJKxGHtmRXY8HgdhaImDvdFjGezqsM551A/s400/IMG_0045.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556184014450554738" /></a><br /><br />I'm notorious for making lists. Lists for the grocery store, packing lists when I go on vacation, lists for when I go to multiday barrel races, etc. (you get the drift.)<br /><br />This past year has been one for - well chilling out. I feel like I've been in a hurry to get somewhere since I graduated high school in 2000. Five years of college, three years of running my own photography business, and a year of learning my way in a brand new extremely stressful job all lead to 2010 being the year of my burnout finally catching up with me. I put aside my camera and photography for the first time in probably 15 years. I did exactly one wedding and two other small photo jobs this year. I was uninspired and truthfully I was just plain tired of worrying what people thought and trying to make other people happy. I just wanted a year for me. I feel like it's the best thing I ever did. I have sewn and grown leaps and bounds as a seamstress. I made a ball gown in January which I am truly proud of. I've started really feeling comfortable with my serger, and I also made my first coat which I have worn the tail off of. All in all I am very happy with the skills I have gained over the past year. <br /><br />Not to say I haven't taken any photographs, I have but just not at my usual rate. <br /><br />As I do at this time every year I sit down and try to set some goals for the following year. This is a personal list that I aspire to, but hardly ever do everything on the list. That's not the point. The point is to have goals to reach toward. <br /><br />I want to begin to compete more with my horses. I have three really wonderful furry kids that need to get out there and shine. We've done all the training there is to do; now it's time to get out there, haul, and compete. <br /><br />Photography is going to take a numero uno position in my artistic pursuits. I have several wonderful books that I got for Christmas that are really inspiring and I think are going to lead me down a new path for my artwork. <br /><br />Sewing is going to continue to be something I am pursuing, of course. My fabric bins brimmith over and I can't wait to cut into them. <br /><br />And the list could go on and on. <br /><br />Last but not least, I would like to really begin to blog again. I used to love sharing what I did on livejournal, and blogger has taken some getting used to. <br /><br />Looks like I have my work cut out for me this coming year. <br />Enjoy the rest of your week kittens!Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-40572660804916599492010-12-20T14:12:00.000-08:002010-12-20T14:16:07.911-08:00I need a plan....I need a plan for my life I think, or at least a plan for my time after work. I have a tendency to let the the boho hippie part of myself take over after 5 o'clock which means I just float along and tackle whatever tickles my fancy that afternoon. <br /><br />I used to be so diciplined and always had a plan as to what I was going to do every day when I was in college. Maybe that had something to do with the boatload of stuff I had to accomplish every week which pretty much meant that I had to schedule every spare minute of my life. <br /><br />Hmmm.......<br /><br />Me thinks I need to sit down and really think about this.Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-4650723881873413032010-05-13T09:54:00.000-07:002010-05-13T09:57:35.208-07:00Spring fever!Have mercy! The post I promised, remember? Well that’s just going to have to wait. I’ve been struck by Spring fever which means horse riding! Monday afternoon was spent feeding and just hanging out. I hardly went to the barn at all last week, my sciatic nerve was inflamed and my back hurt so bad I went to the doctor. <br /><br />Now, those that know me know what a huge thing that is. For those that don’t well aside from my yearly physical I have to either be beaten, broken, or half dead to go to the doctor. I believe in sleep, aspirin, vitamins, herbs, and the occasional hot toddy. Those five things will see me through most things. But after three days of excruciating pain I tapped out and went to the doctor. An anti-inflammatory shot and an “arthritis medication” prescription later I was feeling a lot better. Yes, I am offically old enough to have “arthritis medication." I did go ahead and take care of myself and stayed away from the barn the rest of the week and went out there Monday for what felt like the first time in a month. Tuesday I rode Joker and Casino (and no I did not buy them for their names, they were bought a year apart and it was total coincidence) and it was wonderful. I had bought a new bit for my mare, Casino, and she worked pretty well in that and if I could just get her to stand up going around the second barrel all the time and not drop her shoulder I would be overjoyed. Joker, my dun gelding, just got a light workout and no barrel tuning. I’d love to take these two somewhere this weekend, but it looks like rain so we’ll just have to see. Hope your week has been going well. <br /><br />Later my lovelies!Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-84988156630534117322010-05-10T10:59:00.000-07:002010-05-10T11:03:50.108-07:00A quick test...Just a quick test to see if I can post from my iPhone. Hope everyone is having a great day!!!Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-63015213003692739572010-05-06T07:35:00.000-07:002010-05-06T07:39:31.738-07:00Beautiful Thursday to you!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRXIWBeW0UyeQdA57noNqn7-jBpKathOw2oQokr3izuKLkOLauIGcPYTH0IP9bkUBI_XOfuUlvjrnO-C-F7ZY6mTVi6yCoHOH8q57i6ycvvXz-WToXT9aFK0uZ6QItB3GM0Hk6s5i75ss/s1600/Poetry-Mucha-L.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468166146026112962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 287px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 428px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRXIWBeW0UyeQdA57noNqn7-jBpKathOw2oQokr3izuKLkOLauIGcPYTH0IP9bkUBI_XOfuUlvjrnO-C-F7ZY6mTVi6yCoHOH8q57i6ycvvXz-WToXT9aFK0uZ6QItB3GM0Hk6s5i75ss/s400/Poetry-Mucha-L.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWys0Qbg8qIisUURbsSuO8_uHt2FhhreCu_YDVu3THQSaFADge8hW-xlROEC7TL_2MfA_c6iTgCvbMdV-6jJ8IBbZyqEO1KkhF7D4WiSlW1uU4KL2zTbNArUlxohPGdVBK_9jv3jTVPes/s1600/Poetry-Mucha-L.jpg"></a>A beautiful Thursday to you my dears! Here is a lovely image from Alphone Mucha, "Poetry" for you. I have a real post all typed up, it just needs the pictures and when you leave your jump drive at home it's kind of hard to post them. </div><div> </div><div>Later my lovelies!<br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div>Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-88787531077922377902010-04-14T09:40:00.001-07:002010-04-14T09:52:19.700-07:00What a way to make a living...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhLZRI2tF-jf5zIw8MNTuE_WWFzTWao-lmZakzbNCteVIH4mza5SAeYn-3b2E5J2oT-nfCTqrCQJZp6HJTQ2AM1yeB9d-5imAAVpcf5TXoN3HGqpe35qDfh2NzvoYkD4xhLd6WKmmWPg/s1600/925.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460034105912129746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhLZRI2tF-jf5zIw8MNTuE_WWFzTWao-lmZakzbNCteVIH4mza5SAeYn-3b2E5J2oT-nfCTqrCQJZp6HJTQ2AM1yeB9d-5imAAVpcf5TXoN3HGqpe35qDfh2NzvoYkD4xhLd6WKmmWPg/s400/925.jpg" border="0" /></a> After a somewhat lackluster day of work yesterday I came home to find the good Lord's answer to my woes on Fox Movie Channel. 9 to 5 starring Dolly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Parton</span>, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Dabney</span> Coleman. Our three girls are the typical 80's gals who have thrown off the apron strings <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">and</span> have gone into the workplace to make a dollar and find equality. What they find is a, "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" in their boss played by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Dabney</span> Coleman. Most of us of a certain age have seen it and no matter how many times I see it I always hoot with laughter and vow to be more like Dolly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Parton</span>. Jane Fonda really doesn't do it for me in this movie, but Dolly and Lily more than make up for it. The dialogue is funny, sharp, and Dolly's outrage when she finds out the boss has been saying she is having an affair with him is priceless.<br /><br />"I'll turn you from a rooster to a hen with one shot and don't think I won't do it!!!"<br /><br />If you haven't seen this movie, what are you waiting for? It's funny, uplifting, and the pure genius of stringing up your boss from an automatic garage door opener is worth watching alone.<br /><br />Hope you are all having a great week and I'll see you down at Charlie's at 5:00 p.m.<br /><br />(If you don't know what Charlie's is, well you'll just have to watch the movie or google it. ;)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx31J0FalfQNcRthQEtKv2e3Bn1FgGHzwPAXomaLV5gvRfOGVBgu5wKO82uRAl0-csC2WewKWLoPnb4luLWfdY4v8YoimILq04AlBQTZGAUI4CeNkHL7mH-wLWva-2Tzob98ZDCe11NVM/s1600/925.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div></div>Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-51795114913017094622010-04-11T17:45:00.000-07:002010-04-11T17:52:36.844-07:00My Saturday in a bulleted list....<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 9pt"><strong>Saturday was one of the worst days I have had in a long time. I looked forward to it all week and then, well read on....</strong></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 9pt"><strong><br />*got up and washed my truck-the pollen here is terrible.<br />*went to the barn and washed and fed the horses.<br />*drove back to town and went to the bank.<br />*came back to the house, took a shower and got ready to go to the show<br />*drove back out to the barn and hooked up to the trailer and loaded up the horses<br />*got about a quarter mile down the road, saw what I thought was something stuck to the wheel of the trailer, stopped at the stop sign, got out and saw that a huge hunk of side wall had come off my tire.<br />*turned around and went back to the barn and unloaded the horses<br />*had a near meltdown and a couple phone calls with the husband and my dad<br />*drove back to town to the tire store to get a new tire and when I turned them down on their rip off prices and asked just to have my spare put on they said they were too busy to do it and to take it next door<br />*drove to my house, parked in the front yard and changed the tire my damn self<br />*had a minor meltdown<br />*drove back to the barn<br />*got stuck trying to turn the trailer around to park it<br />*got unstuck<br />*had a serious meltdown<br />*drove home<br />*had a beer and took my frustrations out on the bushes in the front yard, the side yard, and the back yard<br />*the end<br /><br />Next weekend I am going to get new tires and hopefully after that barrel racing will commence. <br /><br />Have a great week my dears!</strong></span></p>Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-74135125227716646202010-04-09T10:41:00.000-07:002010-04-09T13:25:09.408-07:00Hello my dears and darlings!I'm back! After quite a long hiatus I am back for more blogging. I have been doing a lot of sewing and reading lately and to tell you the truth had just lost my journaling mojo. I'm on the road to reclaim it and am even starting to write in my paper journal again. You know things are bad with me if I lack the desire to write in my journal. So, on to some pictures!<br /><br />Last night I went to the Mississippi State University Spring Senior thesis show. It was exactly 5 years ago I was in the same place as these graduating artists. The name of the show is "Naked Sponges." While I have no idea what the meaning of the name is, I am going to make an effort to find out. I went in particular to see the work of a girl who is roommates with one of my coworkers. Her work was a series of photographs of her great grandmother's handmade evening dresses. They were digital prints and framed in old window frames. Very interesting I have to say. There was also some other great student work. One of which I have some pictures, which was a great installation as well as some beautiful paintings, and a really awesome animation sequence. I didn't even bother taking any photos; you just have to see it.<br /><br />Excuse the terrible pictures, all I had with me was my small point and shoot camera that I carry around in my purse. Visit my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hillraised/"><span style="color:#cc0000;">flickr</span> </a>page to view any photos larger.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNzlXPBPGLesDqELWoOh6Pm4HP-z6KxSkbE2Ry77fNmjI06JCQaRfdhMQJy3GZRfjRE6-V92-2iejdJqfqIiJCnr8lTnCDhQ8UYI-VlForFyBAIAVbPTxlAGMx9f8Np4bLgpONiKjzZs/s1600/Art+Show+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458227012889511170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNzlXPBPGLesDqELWoOh6Pm4HP-z6KxSkbE2Ry77fNmjI06JCQaRfdhMQJy3GZRfjRE6-V92-2iejdJqfqIiJCnr8lTnCDhQ8UYI-VlForFyBAIAVbPTxlAGMx9f8Np4bLgpONiKjzZs/s320/Art+Show+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458228688393376498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Dp1vPpjx1GBASvTeqe8MkGFOHKAu6CoT5nzAhSxWiT1P2vMEftMfN3Jx1cwUkKl9RUKBAiBs9TC6ZcmVsIjYPnGMXX2xpKjySWiAz_ipQhLZn_cV9QBEVsqizCDSPT78fpM1enDbinQ/s320/Art+Show+004.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><br /><p></p><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458232028320947522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4Q804VTH-MKZbfV2QnLyoQmWscOzwxAkpwjWnqjTvn-2HwDab8o-vTxo4D1eXZCZ69hXg2CKs46lpvtvsX-QQz-6bc93t40_eFo57N-YRyRfrw7UsplnYULcavI8NVDLqISehuvahxs/s320/Art+Show+001.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><p></p><p>Have a wonderful weekend my lovelies and check back next week for more new content. I promise!</p>Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-14668256298031102392009-08-18T14:27:00.000-07:002009-08-18T14:33:27.661-07:00Lest you all think I had fallen off the face of the earth...In case anyone out there has been wondering where I have been, I was on a cruise in Fiji....don't I wish. ;) In reality I have been going through training and testing for the state insurance license. I am now licensed in the state of Mississippi to sell life, health, accident, property, and casualty insurance. That's two separate tests, one for life, health, and accident and one for property and casualty. It's taken me about two months but I am finally done! Just to give you some reference, the books I was studying from, college courses cover them in a semester I was the classes I took covered both in 6 days. Yes, I had a lot of information that I absorbed in a very short amount of time. But I passed, one with a 79 and one with an 80. A 70 is passing and both my grades on average were pretty high so I was extremely excited. <br /><br />I am sooooo happy to be back among the living and crafting. I have a wedding to attend this weekend in Florida, and a dress that I've made for it so if you're all good boys and girl (and if anyone is interested) there may be some pictures of it. Hope everyone has been doing well and I'll talk to you soon!Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-47694452407120320352009-07-01T17:27:00.000-07:002009-07-01T17:31:02.476-07:00Sad....If you've been wondering where I've been I've been stuck studying for about three weeks and after all that studying I still failed my insurance exam...again. Yes, I have taken the Mississippi Property and Casualty insurance exam twice and failed it the first time with a 68 and the second time with a 69. I only have to make a 70. To say I was crushed is an understatement. I cried, I heaved, I hyperventilated a little when I checked my computer and saw that sad little score. I'm not upset over the failing of the test, I've failed lots of things in my life, I'm upset over the investiment of time. I've spent litterally every spare minute over the last three weeks studying for this test. I took it the first time at the urging of my boss, when I knew good and darn well I had to business wasting the time or the money to take the thing a mere week after going to school the previous weekend. I took it yesterday and felt a lot better about it and still managed to fail it. Oh well. Life goes on, puffy tear swelled eyes go down, and studying will begin again. At least I'm going up each time instead of going down which was the case when I took the ACT in high school. It's a hard, tricky test with lots of questions you never have to answer in real life but the state feels is of utmost importance to quiz you on, stupid. It's also multiple choice which is my cryptonite. I literaly would rather take an essay test and fill up three blue books than take this damn 100 question multiple choice test. <br /><br />So, I'm going to take a few weeks off and go back and try to take it on the 18th. My house needs a good cleaning, I'm behind on some photography work, and I want to do a little sewing. I'm off Friday so if at all possible there will be some riding done this weekend as well. <br /><br />I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July holiday and I'll hopefully be in better spirits next week. I'm just pretty down right now and if you don't mind I'm going to wallow just a little. <br /><br />Later my loveies.Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-71975989943089332632009-06-04T13:08:00.000-07:002009-06-04T13:22:52.046-07:002009 Greenville Arts Council Juried Invitational Exhibition<p align="left"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2448/3596272464_6a40cbdbd7.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 391px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 284px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2448/3596272464_6a40cbdbd7.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>Tomorrow the third biennial Juried Invitational Exhibition presented by the Greenville Arts Council opens in Greenville, MS. Anyone in the delta area should drop by, it looks like it is going to be a great show. I was lucky enough to have two pieces accepted into the show, actually two photos that all of you have already seen. One is the dogwood piece and the picture of King's Store in Noxubee county. I am so excited and proud to be in this show. It is the first show I have been in since my BFA show in May 2005. There are 48 pieces in the exhibition and 31 artists. After I graduated from art school I was so disgusted by the entire experience that I took a little break from fine art work and exhibitioning. I was in several shows while in college and was acutally in this show previously before I graduated so I know it is a wonderful show put on by a great arts council. I wish I could go but it's two and a half hours away and I would have to leave work early to make it, so I'm going to wait and go pick up my pieces, if they don't sell, and look at the exhibition then. It will not be as good as being at the opening but oh well. If you're interested in the show or seeing who is exhibiting, have a look at their website: </p><p><a href="http://greenville-arts-council.com/">http://greenville-arts-council.com/</a><br /><br />Have a good evening my lovelies, I know I will the hubby will be home after four days on the road and we'll finally get to celebrate our two year anniversary which was Tuesday. </p>Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-55336638518157477132009-06-02T09:40:00.001-07:002009-06-02T10:05:48.600-07:00Hello everyone! I'm sorry about the lack of posts lately. I've been so incredibly busy and exhausted after work that all I want to do when I get home in the afternoon is anything but look at the computer. I've been working in my little kitchen garden by the back door and I have pictures that need to be posted. I have also been sewing a little and absolutely devouring Natalie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Chanin's</span> book "Alabama Stitch Book."<br /><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnJ5SiHHQLrxeE70uqAUzrtzyFFaYHB39klNgQtYEyTsAUZVOcJq46H1UUF7dl0zfF61uUel1zcNYM0MkSL6xp7iuRl2dspmqHQ0nYKmEpHgLLFcfxs_h_fuNBRp2PN4zt5lUDgq0otQ/s1600-h/stichbook.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342776111916843778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnJ5SiHHQLrxeE70uqAUzrtzyFFaYHB39klNgQtYEyTsAUZVOcJq46H1UUF7dl0zfF61uUel1zcNYM0MkSL6xp7iuRl2dspmqHQ0nYKmEpHgLLFcfxs_h_fuNBRp2PN4zt5lUDgq0otQ/s320/stichbook.jpg" border="0" /></a> *photo from amazon.com*<br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I know everyone in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">blogoverse</span> has already talked about how great it is and that's how I found out about it myself, but I finally <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">chunked</span> down the money and bought my own copy and I am so glad I did. It's absolutely beautiful and I am so inspired I have been slowly gathering up the materials I need to make my first project. Hopefully I can trace and cut the pattern for the skirt tonight. I'm really excited about the entire process and hope it comes out well. </div><div></div><div>I promise tomorrow there will be another update and hopefully I can get back in the swing of updating again. I was doing okay there for a while and then just quit. </div><div></div><div>Oh, and today is my second wedding anniversary and my darling hubby sent me flowers at work. Isn't he sweet! It's a really pretty mixed <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">bouquet</span> and I love it. Sometimes I could just kill him and then there are times like today when he sends me flowers and I remember why I love him all over again. Hope everyone is having a great day! Later my darlings! </div>Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-46033967388965548932009-05-01T14:49:00.000-07:002009-05-01T14:51:49.214-07:00Things I want....I am feeling horrible. I mean HORRIBLE. I just want to go home curl up in bed with TCM and veg. I also want chocolate and massage. If I'm going to want stuff I might as well just go all out. <br /><br />Other things I want:<br /><br />*To go to the X-Men movie this weekend. Sadly I don't know who I can get to go with me. My husband is not a scifi fan and definitely does not get my obsession with all things "X." I mean come on its got Gambit in it! I don't know about the actor they've chosen but I'm willing to give the guy a chance. I was skeptical about a tall dancing Australian for the choice of Wolverine but Hugh Jackman has turned out to be a perfect Logan. <br />*Sew. I have three shirts cut out and a skirt. I want new clothes and me sewing them seems to be the easiest and least frustrating choice. Everything in the stores right now is a ruffled, poufy, ane more suited for a 12-year-old.<br />*Read. I rarely get the opportunity to just read anymore. I usually try to take a little time every day to read the book I've currently got going and boy do I miss those hour breaks between classes when I could just camp out in the sun and read or journal.<br />*Write. I have a journal with lots of inspiration images but very little writing. This needs to change. <br />*Ride. I want to go on a long trail ride. I mean a couple of hours long trail ride. I want to talk and ride with some other horse people and enjoy my horses and being outside. <br /><br />Other things I need to do this weekend because I have to:<br /><br />*Pictures. I have two sets of pictures left to go to get me completely caught up. A baby shower and a wedding anniversary. Those have got to be done as soon as possible.<br />*Cleaning. My nasty house needs to be cleaned. End of story. The end.<br />*Yard work. I have some plants and I want to get my container garden started for the year. I have got to get some soil from the horse pasture but aside from that I have a horrible bed that needs to be worked up and I'm dreading it. The shrubs need clipping, the grass needs cutting, etc., etc., etc.....I promise some better posts next week, but lately I just haven’t' had the will or the energy. <br /><br />Have a good weekend my lovelies!Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-49703606991492680522009-04-22T07:38:00.000-07:002009-04-22T08:11:27.482-07:00Cotton District Arts Festival<div><br /><br /><div><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3644/3465095579_5da9a7a6b8.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3644/3465095579_5da9a7a6b8.jpg" border="0" /></a> <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 375px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3602/3464984571_3fc4ae3134.jpg" border="0" /> People out shopping at the Cotton District Arts Festival<br /><br /><br />Finally, an update on the festival! Saturday I attended the Cotton District Arts Festival in Starkville, MS. The Cotton District Festival has grown by leaps and bounds every year and this year was the largest festival with over a 100 vendors. Everything has to be handmade, the do not allow any mass produced items which I think is absolutely wonderful. I didn't get to walk around as much this year being a vendor but in years past there are painting, drawings, ceramics, jewlery, photography, clothing, wood crafts, and many more things. I was excited to be accepted and terrified at the same time. It was my very first festival and I was so scared that I wouldn't sell anything, that and it rained the first two hours we were there didn't help my spirits any!<br /><br />We got there around 6:00 a.m., my mom and I, and just got the tent set up when it started raining. I quickly set up the tables, laid out my jewelry, and kind of waited on putting out my photos until it stopped raining. Around 8:30, 9:00ish it stopped raining and the people started coming out<img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 555px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 464px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3641/3465831902_1e20177076_o.jpg" border="0" /></div> My first festival booth!<br /><p></p><br /><br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 375px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3556/3465019219_70ea08ee16.jpg" border="0" /></p></div><br /><p>I was really pleased with the reaction to my jewelry and my photography. I had a lot of people who really spent time in the booth looking at prints and saying how much they like them and actually sold several! I had some photographers, graphic designers, and architects stop by and gave me some great feedback and I couldn't be more thrilled with what they said. I even made a 10 year graphic designer look twice with my new photoshoped work and she couldn't tell if it was a straight photograph or if it was photoshoped. That made the entire day worthwhile. :) I also got lots of good feedback on the jewelry. I had several people say it was the most unique they had seen, the beads were very different, and best of all they bought it! Fifty four pairs were sold to be exact. I've been wearing my own stuff for years but who would have thought that other people would like it too! I sold just about every piece that I took, I think I had something like 6 or 8 pairs left. It just about totally cleaned out my etsy shop so I'm having to make new stock for that as we speak. Overall it was a great experience and me and mom had a ball. My booth neighbors were wonderful and really made the day very enjoyable. I'm already planning my next festival for in the fall and I can't wait. This one was a great learning experience and I have a lot of ideas for the next one. I hope all of you are having a great week!<br /></p><p>Later Darlings!</p>Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-69311430632362255922009-04-16T09:42:00.000-07:002009-04-16T09:49:41.894-07:00Last day of work for the week!<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3374/3445919393_3be9c6781f.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3374/3445919393_3be9c6781f.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Today is my last day of work for the week! WOOT! I'm taking off tomorrow as planned to work on last minute things for my booth. I will be a matt cutting fool as of this time tomorrow. I hope I can sneak in a little riding and enjoy the beautiful weather we are having. They are still calling for rain Saturday but I'm hoping that it will clear off and we can continue having beautiful sunshine like we have had the past two days or as least it will hold off until after 3:00 p.m.<br /><br />The image above is one of the ones that I will have for sale Saturday. I'm trying some different things with textures in Photoshop and still don't know exactly how I feel about it. That was one thing about art school, you had a critique every week and you always knew for the good or the bad what people thought of your work. I haven't had that in, good gosh, four years! It seems almost a lifetime ago. About this time in 2005 I was recovering from the hell that preparing for senior thesis was and contemplating running away to Oklahoma and going to work for a horse trainer I knew out there. :) My entire senior year of art school was hellish and I was just glad it was over. <br /><br />But anyway, back to the artwork. Please come by my booth Saturday if you're in Starkville and you want some free, fun entertainment. You don't even have to buy anything! Just stop by say hello and help me celebrate my first public display of art in four years. It's been way too long and I'm ready I think to get back in the exhibition scene. I even have a couple of shows I'm planning on entering. Have a wonderful day my darlings and if I don't post anymore until Monday have a wonderful weekend as well!Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-53318951215004614432009-04-14T09:26:00.001-07:002009-04-14T09:52:47.687-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBQkwm4Z5qfqnzxuYBWhQNxoEqTjwzEmdNGvgHXkF6ifIlVUTKpLgnYltWrDBlMWxFxUbwMKq4eUmC6PAAP_KTN_45FUzv5V35SBzzQVEL21ZDZNSamIlgZ5LClwgnPkPOGnCjaB0Fp8/s1600-h/FrustratedWoman.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBQkwm4Z5qfqnzxuYBWhQNxoEqTjwzEmdNGvgHXkF6ifIlVUTKpLgnYltWrDBlMWxFxUbwMKq4eUmC6PAAP_KTN_45FUzv5V35SBzzQVEL21ZDZNSamIlgZ5LClwgnPkPOGnCjaB0Fp8/s320/FrustratedWoman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324584271188109266" /></a><br /><br /><br />This is me and the other lady I work with the past two days. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. I work at an insurance agency and some days you just want to throw up your hands in frustration, lock the doors, and go home. Nothing you do is right, nothing corporate does is right, and even the boss man can't help you. From the moment we walked in the door the phone has rang, the e-mails, have rolled in, and we finally got to catch our breath at about 11:00 a.m. <br /><br />Yesterday was just as bad if not worse. <br /><br />Thank goodness I only have to work 4 days this week.<br /><br />I'm slowly but steadily getting things ready for my booth Saturday, but I'm a little worried. It is supposed to rain and storm this weekend, but the weather forecast changes every day so I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope it holds off until the afternoon to rain. That's why I'm off Friday, I'll be gathering up the last of everything, packing, getting change, and all the other things that I haven't thought of yet. <br /><br />I hope you all had a wonderful Easter full of lots of chocolate and family togetherness. :) My baptism went well even though fate conspired against it. There had been work done on the church this winter and unknown to anyone they had broken the waterline for the baptismal. The preacher called me all in a panic and frustrated and asked what did I want to do. We had already talked to my husband's uncle and he said they had ran water hoses in the back door and into the baptismal in the past that. There is a heater for the water so the water would be warm if we could just get it in there. I did not want to postpone it because if I did it would just get put off and put off and I would procrastinate and it wouldn't get done until next Easter so I said let's go ahead. The preacher along with a few other men at the church ran waster hoses in the back door at 11:00 p.m. Saturday night and filled up the baptismal. So, we had warm water, I got dunked, and I am now a certificate holding, fully immersed baptized Baptist and remember of the church. Of course I had brought extra clothes but was sitting in Sunday school and realized that I didn't have any extra underwear. I got my bra and underwear squeezed out as best I could afterwards with a towel but I still high tailed it out of there as quickly as I could so as not to embarrass myself. I know people wanted to congratulate me but I was more worried about my damp underwear showing through my clothes along with my rapidly drying hair that was taking on the appearance of a two day old dead cat. <br /><br />All in all it wasn't that bad and the preacher was very kind and explained to the congregation that I was saved and had been for a very long time along with having already been baptized by sprinkling in the Presbyterian church and that I was doing this out of respect for the church and that he appreciated my willingness to do so. (Man that was a long grammatically incorrect sentence.) He also Baptized me by my full name (first, maiden, married) which meant a lot to me. Every once in a while it's nice to be acknowledged for yourself and not just as somebody's wife, in the South though that's a loosing battle sometimes. <br /><br />All in all it was a pretty good weekend and I hope yours was just as good. <br /><br />Have a wonderful day my lovelies!Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-12073167398660599012009-04-10T14:00:00.000-07:002009-04-10T14:23:44.545-07:00Thank goodness it's Friday!<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3627/3387785060_983800f5cb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 328px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3627/3387785060_983800f5cb.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Hello all! I hope your week was wonderful and your weekend full of fun Easter activities. Me, I'm finally joining the church we have been going to. It's the church my husband grew up in, we got married in, and well it's just time. I've already went before the congregation and formally asked to join, but since I grew up in the Presbyterian church I never went through immersion baptism and so I have to be "dunked" to complete my conversion to the Baptist church. This is something that I've given a lot of thought to and have wrestled with for a while. I really wanted to take the time to get to know the church and the people and make sure that we were going to stay in the area. I also have never belonged but to one church for so me to change not only churches but denominations was a very big deal, I think that I am making the right choice so on Easter Sunday in front of all my new friends, family, and neighbors I will be baptized again. Maybe a double dosing will do me good. :)<br /><br />I'm definitely not happy about having to get wet all over in front of a lot of people but oh well. I guess I shouldn't complain, I could be converting to Catholicism. That's a whole lot more intensive than becoming Baptist. <br /><br />Have a wonderful weekend my lovelies and we'll see you next week!<br /><br />P.S. The picture for today has nothing to do with this post at all, just a random pretty that I like.Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-44529635645070809732009-04-07T10:05:00.000-07:002009-04-07T10:09:28.567-07:00Lookit Ma, comments!<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/3420991221_d4e36543a5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/3420991221_d4e36543a5.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />I was so excited to check my e-mail last night and see my very first comments! Thanks so much for your kind words; it kind of gives a girl steam to keep plugging away after this little blog. I've had some bad internet experiences in the past (some partly my fault) and finally made the decision to have a public journal again. You have made me feel like this is the right decision. Thanks again and please let me know if there is anything you would like to know about me and I'll be sure to plan some posts around your questions. Thanks and have a wonderful day my dears!Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-28284534479681845592009-04-03T13:56:00.000-07:002009-04-03T14:03:41.874-07:00It's almost the weekend...<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3618/3387801832_bd43e9fd98.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 332px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3618/3387801832_bd43e9fd98.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />It's almost the weekend, things are winding down here at work and I'm planning what I'm going to be doing. On the top of the list is finishing up some pictures from a 50th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago and taking some more pictures this weekend. It's for a sip and see which is a fancy way of saying, come have some cake and tea and look at my pretty baby. Kind of a baby shower without the presents. :) It's for a family friend's grandchild as well as all the new babies we've had in the church. Some of them are just old enough to be going out in public and this will be a great way for family and friends to get to see them without having to travel all over the place. Plus Miss Libby D makes the best appetizers around. <br /><br />There will also be lots of working on pictures and display for my booth two weeks from now at the cotton district festival. Gotta buckle down the next two weeks and really get some stuff done on that. Lots of printing and matting and jewelry making to still be done. I don't want to go overboard, but I want to have a good sampling of what my work is. <br /><br />And hopefully I can finish a dress I started two weeks ago. It's my first one in ages and I think it's going to look really good on me. I hope. *crosses fingers*<br /><br />I also hope to whittle out some time for the ponies. They need rode and I need some time with them too. <br /><br />Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and I'll see you next week. <br /><br />Happy weekend my lovelies!Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-56476285908499787862009-03-31T09:28:00.000-07:002009-03-31T09:40:52.759-07:00Wishing for sunshine...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JzZWiDogTf51vorsbQl62pl-hITkrmBtjg2p7WEG_X5Wbzq2h4Um1aqa702eIeI92odGPflluPzRGD8MvesKHGp9alUjxhPvV3EhyeG-MJpqk62BFYfD6pNhDAkNkIGZhaEtAjwZYs4/s1600-h/King'sStorePanorama.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 84px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JzZWiDogTf51vorsbQl62pl-hITkrmBtjg2p7WEG_X5Wbzq2h4Um1aqa702eIeI92odGPflluPzRGD8MvesKHGp9alUjxhPvV3EhyeG-MJpqk62BFYfD6pNhDAkNkIGZhaEtAjwZYs4/s200/King'sStorePanorama.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319390278636808338" /></a><br /><br />This was taken last year on highway 388 in Noxubee County. It's right down the road from my father-in-law's house. It was absolutely sunny and I think I'd rather look at this today than out the window. It's raining and dreary and I've absolutely had my fill of dreary, raining days. <br /><br />If you'll look to the right I'm going to start adding some links to blogs I read. The first one is Casey's Musings. Casey is a wonderful girl who just got married and moved to Florida with her sailor hubby. She is one of my favorite bloggers and her take on fashion and life in general can perk me up on my downest day. Go have a look if you're interested in 40's fashion, sewing, design, and day to day glamour. She also does all her own graphic design and has some really wonderful layouts. <br /><br />My hubby is on the road somewhere in Texarkana delivering steel and won't be home until Wednesday. That mean that I have to get some work done tonight. I don't have the excuse that I have to cook supper and after last night's falling asleep at 6:30 watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and then going to bed at 9:30 I really have to get some photography work done or my customer is going to skin me alive! <br /><br />Happy Tuesday my lovelies!Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-91702345662451359632009-03-30T10:03:00.000-07:002009-03-30T10:29:59.030-07:00It's time for some color!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYGPJm747OI35vBxN9XJ6NInzlcWS-AaMwxv9ZeLIF9U4r_Ut-heY5E8kmOGV20aHEj0ptn3XOVeOyALiF8XhCR0TbV8_aPsSWZxjQDPXDurj3jSG-Ytg4UvzT6ucy8ma-2-CZPuJsC0/s1600-h/redbud3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYGPJm747OI35vBxN9XJ6NInzlcWS-AaMwxv9ZeLIF9U4r_Ut-heY5E8kmOGV20aHEj0ptn3XOVeOyALiF8XhCR0TbV8_aPsSWZxjQDPXDurj3jSG-Ytg4UvzT6ucy8ma-2-CZPuJsC0/s200/redbud3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319029541675072482" /></a><br /><br />Hopefully everyone is having a wonderful Monday, and is enjoying some sunny weather. The weekend started out not so good with lots of rain Friday night, but turned off sunny and nice later on Saturday morning and Sunday was really nice. Went out and brushed the horses good, which ended in well groomed horses and a very dirty me. I had to come home and take a shower immediately; I was absolutely covered in hair. <br /><br />Just a short post today, not a lot going on but I am here at work all by myself and need to be paying attention I suppose. I am going to lunch with Mom though, that's always fun! <br /><br />On a quick sewing note I bought the Golden Hands Complete Book of Dressmaking off Amazon for a penny, shipping was three dollars for it but oh well. :) I've just gotten to glance through it here at work but it's fabulously 70's. I should post some pictures from it. Some of the stuff looks very much now, but some of it is very much all about the time the book was written in. Overall though I am very happy with it and can't wait to dive right in. Looks to be a lot of great tips in there as well as some patterns! You have to grade them up but I really like the basic dress pattern they have in there. <br /><br />Happy Monday my lovelies!Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-89379786387989558282009-03-27T08:22:00.000-07:002009-03-27T08:40:43.941-07:00Another Springtime Picture<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3591/3387770186_9f825a52c4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 340px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3591/3387770186_9f825a52c4.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Just another springtime picture. These are apple blooms on a tree at my Greatgrandparent's place. My MaPep said these were drying apples. The apples are probably about the size of a tangerine or smaller and are TART. But, if you dry them they make the best fried pie filling around. The trees are at least 75 years old if not older. Every year they are so pretty and continue to remind me of my Greatgrandmother and the times we spent cutting up and drying apples when I was a kid.Lana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825934843002836900.post-19710627876752699942009-03-26T09:38:00.000-07:002009-03-26T09:39:22.050-07:00Spring has sprung!<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3442/3386983445_91017feabb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 385px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3442/3386983445_91017feabb.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Spring has sprung here in Mississippi. The trees are starting to get their leaves...the flowers are blooming... and we are being drowned in rain! I know in July I'm going to be wishing and praying for rain, but for right now all I want is for the ground to dry out and let me be able to ride my horses and work in my yard. In the meantime it keeps me from having the excuse to not do work in the house. I've been sewing up a storm as well as preparing for my very first art/craft fair. It is April 18 and I am hurriedly trying to get everything together. I was trying to print images last night and ran out of two colors of ink. Oh well. I'm scared and excited. It's something that I've wanted to do since I graduated from college and I've been putting it off for one reason or another (marriage, money, and time being the big three).<br /><br />But, with my new job I have a little extra income and I'm just making time at night to work. I'm not going overboard with stock and am going to see what sells and what doesn't. I don't want to spend a ton of money on prints and matting and not sell a thing. That would just be depressing. <br /><br />Hope you are having a lovely day!<br /><br />LanaLana Pughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137729362106019609noreply@blogger.com0